


The Runaways

by Rumaan



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But it's Rhaegar being cheated on so who cares, Cheating, F/M, Runaway AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:16:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26992762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rumaan/pseuds/Rumaan
Summary: Elia escapes from King's Landing with Brandon
Relationships: Elia Martell/Brandon Stark
Comments: 34
Kudos: 58





	1. Snow

**Author's Note:**

> So I saw [this post](https://rumaan.tumblr.com/post/631882351425814529) and had to write something for them because why have I never thought of this before?!?
> 
> This is probably going to be little snippets set in a universe where they've run away together

Elia had never been so cold in her life. The chill permeated right down to her bones and she clenched her jaw in a desperate attempt to stem the chattering of her teeth. 

“Here, my love,” Brandon said, tightening his arm around her waist and tugging her even further into his fur lined cloak.

“Thanks,” she said, marvelling at how solid and warm he could feel as they cut their way through snow. She had never even seen snow before and when she had exclaimed that it was summer, Brandon had laughed and said that this was just shallow summer snow. 

Snow in  _ summer _ ! 

It was the closest she had come to regretting her actions. She wasn’t built for the cold. Summer to her was splashing in the summer gardens and drinking icy drinks of lemon and mint and quenching her thirst with slices of watermelon. Not shivering in her thin silken gown and slippers.

They hadn’t had time to stop below Moat Cailin to buy her more northern friendly attire. Especially as they were fleeing on one horse and praying they had enough of a head start that Rhaegar and the Kingsguard wouldn’t catch up with them. She didn’t want to watch Brandon lose his head or burn alive in his armour. Only the gods knew what punishment Aerys would come up with for his hated Dornish daughter in law. 

At least uncle Lewyn had promised to hide their escape for as long as he could. She hoped he had managed to make the Boneway and got back to Dorne and safety. Even if he managed to hide his assistance to her and Brandon, it would be par for the course for her insane father in law to punish him purely because he came from the same house.

“Not long now,” Brandon whispered in her ear. “Winterfell is warmer than this, I promise.”

“How?” She asked, looking around at the white, frozen tundra.

“Hot springs. Winterfell sits on top of hot springs and my ancestor, Brandon the Builder designed the castle so that the hot water flows through the walls keeping it warm.” 

She wasn’t sure she believed such a thing was possible but then again she was so cold, she wasn’t sure she would ever get warm again.

“When do we arrive?” 

“This time tomorrow you will be thawing out your bones in the hot water pools in the Godswood.”

The thought of hot water had her wiggling in delight. 

“In the meantime, I will keep you warm,” Brandon murmured in her ear before pressing a kiss just below. 

She shivered in delight this time, blood rushing to her cheeks. Brandon has managed to keep her warm in all sorts of inventive ways since they had crossed into the north. Ways that had her moaning and gasping out her pleasure. 

He chuckled against her neck and pulled her even tighter against his chest. “Patience, my love. Soon it will be time to set up camp.”

And she couldn’t wait. 


	2. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elia meets Rickard Stark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there were lots of questions about Rhaenys and Aegon. I went with a not long married Elia for this fic purely because it was easier than figuring out stealing children away. So yeah, she and Rhaegar didn’t go to Dragonstone not long after marrying but stayed in King’s Landing. Canonically Brandon is 5/6 years younger than Elia but whilst I kept him being younger in my head he’s 20ish rather than 18 and Elia is 23. Oh and himbo because I’m not immensely fond of womaniser Brandon.

Lord Stark’s smile dropped as soon as they reached the Lord’s solar and ushered them into seats across from his wide desk. Elia wasn’t surprised. She hadn’t expected to be welcomed with open arms and in Rickard’s fulsome compliments about hosting a princess of the realm, Elia had seen the confusion and fury lying beneath. She had raised an eyebrow at Brandon’s whispered, “I told you he’d be happy.” Lord Stark had the political nous that his handsome son lacked. Not that Elia was pining for political acumen. Rhaegar had been full of knowledge and ambition and she had grown to hate it in the short time they had been married.

“What do you think you’re doing,” Rickard hissed once the door was closed against any potential nosy ears and he too was seated. “Do you understand the danger you have brought down onto the North?”

“What?” Brandon asked, his eyes wide with confusion. “You said how honoured you were to have Elia here.”

Elia smiled softly at the stupid but handsome man who was clutching her hand. Lord Stark showed no such fondness. 

“Of course I did, you blockhead! I could hardly say anything else in a hall full of northerners!” he exclaimed before putting a hand over his eyes and adding, “Now I need to figure a way out of this mess.”

“If you don’t mind, Lord Stark, I have some pertinent information for you,” she said quietly whilst trying to suppress the nervous bounce of her right leg. Her views or opinions had never been welcomed in King’s Landing. Her father in law had outright believed women were only of use for breeding and Rhaegar had never asked her what she thought about anything - he preferred her to remain elegantly but silently by his side. Looking at the ruddy flush on Rickard Stark’s cheeks she wasn’t too confident that he would be interested in listening to her either so his answer came as a surprise. 

“Any information you have is most welcome, Princess.”

“You should be expecting a letter from my brother at some point over the next sennight. I sent a messenger to him several days before leaving with your son. My Uncle, Lewyn of the Kingsguard, was also going to attempt to make his way to Dorne.”

Lord Stark’s hand dropped and he narrowed his eyes as he steadily observed her. She remained calm under his gaze despite how hard her heart hammered in her chest. 

“One of you has thought of the consequences at least.”

“I am very sorry for the danger I have brought to you and your people,” she said, before she wrapped a hand around Brandon’s thick bicep. “I have been selfish, I know. I just couldn’t ignore my heart any longer. I was tired of suppressing my happiness.”

“Are you sure it was your heart,” Lord Stark said with a flash of wit and a brief mischievous smile.

Colour rushed into her cheeks. “Most definitely my heart. Your son is very loveable.”

“What else would it be, Father?” Brandon asked, his brow furrowed in puzzlement which had Elia biting back a smile.

“Nothing, nothing,” Lord Stark said hastily. “So your hearts carried you both away. I can’t say I blame you, my dear. His mother was just as charming.”

The heat in her face intensified. Somehow explaining her actions to this stern looking man was much harder than it had been with her romantic uncle. Lewyn had been fully supportive - possibly because he was well aware of the atmosphere within the royal family and just how dismissed Elia had been as a person.

“Well whilst I wish that I had sent your brother to Kings Landing as my diplomat now, this cannot be undone and we have to make the most of the circumstances we have. I have never met your brother, Princess Elia, so I cannot predict how he will react but from what I have been taught, House Martell has always been fiercely independent with strong family ties.”

“Yes, my lord. My brother’s primary concern will be for my well-being.”

“Hmm,” Lord Stark said before removing over to the shelves that lined one wall of his solar, pulling out a rolled up parchment. He spread it out across his desk and leaning forward, Elia could see that it was a map of the North. “If you had to run off with anyone, Son, I’m glad you chose a daughter of Dorne at least. They know how to defend their borders better than any on this continent.”

“What will you do?” Elia asked, her curiosity getting the better of her as she watched him study the map.

“Send word to House Reed to keep their eyes open in the neck and send reinforcements to Moat Cailin. There’s one thing to be grateful for and it’s that House Targaryen no longer has dragons.”

“Possibly something else, too,” she said, putting her hand over where her stomach roiled with nerves. She had been dreading divulging this information to the northern lord. Brandon might claim it was not an issue but she had done a highly unusual thing. “Rhaegar will be anxious not to harm me as I carry his heir.”

Lord Stark’s mouth dropped open.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [tumblr](https://rumaan.tumblr.com)


End file.
